5 Most Dangerous Things You Can Do on Thanksgiving

by Alessandra Bulow

on 11/20/13 at 09:00 AM

Telling your mother-in-law what you really think about her cooking isn't nearly as hazardous as dumping a frozen turkey into a pot of boiling oil, but it's still risky. Here, Epicurious Senior Editor (and our resident Thanksgiving guru) Kemp Minifie and University of Arizona-Tucson Professor and Microbiologist Charles Gerba (aka Dr. Germ) weigh in on the five most dangerous things you can do on Thanksgiving.

Dirty Deed #1: Wash the Turkey

"If you wash the turkey, you're unknowingly spraying microscopic raw turkey juices all over the sink and kitchen," says Minifie. "The only way to kill the bacteria is by cooking the bird." Instead of washing the turkey, just pat it dry with disposable paper towels and put that sucker in the oven.

Dirty Deed #2: Pick at the Turkey Carcass and Stuffing Inside the Turkey

Some families linger over the meal, eat dessert, watch a football game, and then put away the turkey about four hours later--you know who you are. "After 30 minutes, spores of the bacteria Clostridium perfringens begin to re-germinate and can make you sick," says Gerba. Put the unused turkey in the refrigerator as soon as possible to avoid getting sick.

Dirty Deed #3: Leave Homemade Pumpkin Pie on the Counter

"People forget that pumpkin pie is actually a custard pie," says Minifie. "It's made with raw eggs and dairy so like any custard pie, it needs to be refrigerated to avoid food poisoning." Store-bought pies are less of a risk but should still be refrigerated, just in case.

Dirty Deed #4: Reheat the Turkey Improperly

"People don't reheat turkey or gravy to a high enough temperature to kill spore-forming bacteria,” says Gerba. "Bring gravy to a boil again and heat turkey until it's 180 degrees." Eating cold turkey in a sandwich the next day is one of the pleasures of Thanksgiving leftovers, but only do it if you're sure the turkey hasn't sat out for several hours.

Dirty Deed #5: Learn How to Deep-Fry Turkey from a sketchy YouTube Video